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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · staff · stand · court · row · land · stick · rock

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. court — for sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. staff — employees
  6. land — a country
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. row — a line
  11. land — to come down
  12. rock — a stone
  13. branch — a division
  14. row — to paddle
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music
  19. court — of a king
  20. land — ground
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stand — to bear
  24. court — of law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com